


Just a Game

by kakimashitaMOVED



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Prompt Fic, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-07 23:49:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1125842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakimashitaMOVED/pseuds/kakimashitaMOVED
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You don't have to say it out loud," Volkner sighs, smirking when Flint glares at him. "It's a game. They can't hear you, anyway."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Game

**Author's Note:**

> fanfiction month day 08 - flint x volkner (pokemon)
> 
> prompt - video games
> 
> this is one of my favourites that i've written so far~ o'v'o   
> the whole video game thing got me thinking it would be cool to see them actually playing the pokemon video games, so here we go. enjoy!

"Use Flamethrower!"

Volkner looks up from his screen when Flint cackles in delight, pixellated flames attacking the Luxray on the opposite end of the field. He scowls at the other man, who just gives him an impish shrug – why does he always have to take this so seriously? It's just a game, yet he feels the need to give vocal commands to the screen when a few clicks of some buttons is more than enough. He also feels like his distraction with theatrics is a large part of the reason why he never actually wins when they have battles together.

"You don't have to say it out loud," Volkner sighs, smirking when Flint glares at him. "It's a game. They can't hear you, anyway."

Flint, who up until this point had been sitting cross-legged on Volkner's bed, rocks himself back into a lying position before throwing his legs into the air, gathering enough momentum to push him to his feet. "Pokémon is so much more than 'just a game'," he says, supplying sarcastic quotation marks in the air, and Volkner rolls his eyes. "My Infernape is an important part of my life, real or not. He's real to me, at least - H-Hey!"

He clutches at his console, watching as Luxray launches a Thunderbolt at Infernape and knocks it out. Volkner can't help but grin while Flint gapes, eyes darting between the blonde man and the screen before he finally whispers, "When did you-?"

"I'm very discreet." Volkner leans back against the wall, uncrossing his legs and stretching them out. Infernape cries out when it disappears from the screen, and Flint's final Pokémon – a Magmortar, it seems – is consequently forced into battle.

"Shit," he mutters, sagging onto the bed again as he focuses on the screen. Volkner now has the upper hand in the battle (not that he ever didn't, he's been in control from the start), with two Pokémon left; he promptly taps at his screen, selecting a full restore from his items and allowing himself to beam happily when Flint curses at him, enraged by the choice. The sounds quickly turn into that of triumph, however, as his burly Magmortar lands a Focus Blast on Luxray, the words "Critical hit!" flashing across the screen before Volkner's Pokémon faints.

"Good shot," he admits with a small nod, paying no attention to the unabashed gloating Flint starts up at the praise. With a blank expression on his face he produces his final Pokémon.

He looks up in that second, not wanting to miss what he knows follows.

Flint’s eyes take in Volkner's final Pokémon, and the blonde has to make a conscious effort not to laugh at the dumbfounded expression that washes over the redhead. "Octillery?!" Flint shrieks, and it's too much - Volkner claps his spare hand over his mouth as he rattles with laughter, shaking his head quickly while Flint just stares at him, the glint in his eyes saying something along the lines of, "You have no idea how much I want to strangle you right now." Unable to find it in him to respond without bursting into laughter again, he simply places his hand on his chest and bows his head forward apologetically. Flint clicks his tongue, though it sounds more like a growl if anything. "You never play fair."

"It's not my fault you only use fire-types," Volkner counters once he finds his voice, still grinning widely. "If you thought more about strategy and less about pure power, maybe you'd be able to beat me someday."

"I'll beat you right now," Flint mutters, hunching over his console and finalising his turn. Pressing his lips together in a hard line to try and keep from smiling again, Volkner does the same.

Octillery strikes first, blasting Magmortar with a quick and powerful Hydro Pump that knocks the poor Pokémon unconscious before it can even get a chance to fight back. Volkner can guess that Flint had a Thunderbolt lined up for him, but that doesn't matter anymore; he's lost the battle. Volkner's console lets out a victorious tone and the screen goes black as he's redirected. Sneaking a peek at Flint, he sees that the other man is pouting heavily, eyes locked deliberately on his own screen in front of him. "Don't sulk," Volkner chides. "It's not very attractive."

Standing and stretching his stiff limbs, he crosses the room and kneels on the bed behind Flint. He drapes his body over the redhead's back, pressing his nose into his shoulder and scattering light kisses into the skin. "Don't sulk," he says again, a little more sternly this time. "It's only a game."

Flint sighs. "Yeah, yeah." He lifts a hand to scratch his head, then moving to pat the back of Volkner's own gently. "Just a game," he repeats, an almost gloomy tone in his voice that makes Volkner tilt his head questioningly, chin resting on Flint's shoulder.

"Oh man, but Volkner!" Without warning Flint rises to his feet, nearly toppling Volkner off the bed. "Wouldn't it just be so great if it wasn't just a game?"

Volkner stares for a moment, adjusting himself so that he's lying on his side and gazing up at him. He leans his head on his raised arm for support. "What do you mean?"

"I mean if Pokémon were real!" He turns around, back to Volkner and puts his hands on his hips. "Just picture it - actually battling with your Pokémon, being able to talk to them and have them hear you and respond, Being able to touch them and play with them and _battle_ with them outside of a screen – wouldn't that just be so cool?"

When Flint turns he has a glint in his eyes that Volkner has only seen in a handful of times before. It’s that look he gets when he’s imagining something wonderful, something that he’d die to attain, and although it’s a dangerous look to be sporting it suits Flint quite well. Maybe Flint is just a dangerous person, he reasons. Lips quirking minutely and brows pushing upwards, Volkner murmurs, “That does sound cool.”

Flint practically shines with happiness at that, continuing to explain to his blonde friend all the marvellous ideas he has about Pokémon, what it would be like if they were indeed real. Volkner finds it amusing, watching him gesture wildly as he speaks, animated expression gracing his features and eyes glittering so brightly that they could light a whole room by themselves. Volkner smiles too, nodding and prompting him in certain directions with questions like, “What would they eat if they can’t have the berries in the games?” and, “How do Pokéballs work in this world?” Flint eagerly replies with all sorts of theories and ideas, smile growing impossibly larger by the second.

“If Pokémon were real,” Volkner starts at one point, “would we be important trainers?”

“Of course!” Flint’s enthusiasm flares again, and he leans forward in excitement. “You’d be a really tough Gym Leader, I bet. As for me,” he pauses, pointing to himself and holding his head high, “I’d be a member of the Elite Four.”

It takes every ounce of Volkner’s strength to not roll his eyes – he settles with a smirk instead. “You, a member of the Elite Four? You’re kidding, right?” Flint shakes his head, taken aback, and a small chuckle pushes its way from the blue-eyed man’s mouth. “Why am I only a Gym Leader, then? You can’t even beat me.”

“Nah, nah, you’re missing the point.” The redhead scoots forward, entering Volkner’s bubble of personal space and making him feel instantly warmer. He leans in as well, partially for the warmth and partially to hear where Flint’s going with this train of thought. “It has nothing to do with the skill. If I was judging this by skill, you’d be the champion and I wouldn’t even be a notable trainer.” Something of a sad smile crosses Flint’s expression, and he sucks in a deep breath. “I don’t think you’d really want to be a member of the Elite Four. You’re so quiet and reclusive; you wouldn’t like having the spotlight on you all the time like you would as a member of the Elite Four, right? Being a Gym Leader would suit you a lot better – it’s a smaller role that you wouldn’t have to be as public about, but that I know you would still enjoy.” He ends his explanation with a shrug, gaze flicking away abruptly.

Volker is quiet, the words rolling around in his head. After a moment he turns his body around, laying back and resting his head in Flint’s lap. “That sounds just like me,” he murmurs, closing his eyes. Flint gives a breathy laugh, petting the blonde’s head and carding his fingers through his hair. Cracking an eye open, Volkner softly adds, “And I can picture you as a member of the Elite Four. You’re such a hothead I bet you’d crave all that attention.”

He can’t help but snort with laughter when Flint pinches his nose.

**Author's Note:**

> and then flint leans down and kisses him and starts blushing like an idiot and volkner just smiles and pats his cheek and says, "i love you" ok i'm leavin g now /runs


End file.
